


Hold Me Steady While I'm Homesteading

by stellarparallax



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Baker! Hunk, Farmer! Lance, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pre-Relationship, Stardew Valley AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 22:29:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20379151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellarparallax/pseuds/stellarparallax
Summary: Lance sighed as he looked at the expansive land that he had yet to clear. Fatigue was already settling in his arms and back. He knew that he was on the brink of collapse.You wanted this, he reminded himself.And he did. He left his dead-end job to live on the farm that his late grandfather left behind. In the beginning, he was hesitant about making such a huge change. What he really wanted to do was screenwriting, which was hardly within the scope of his boring office job. But his parents convinced him that pursuing a creative career would be too unstable, too unpredictable.Then, the economy crashed. The company he was working for started downsizing and he was denied the pay raise that he’d been promised. That, of course, did wonders for his mental health.He needed an escape.--A Lance-centric Stardew Valley AU





	Hold Me Steady While I'm Homesteading

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Lance-centric Tidal Waves Zine!
> 
> Huge thanks to [Misty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiserNoire) for beta reading!

Lance sighed as he looked at the expansive land that he had yet to clear. Fatigue was already settling in his arms and back. He knew that he was on the brink of collapse. 

_ You wanted this _, he reminded himself.

And he did. He left his dead-end job to live on the farm that his late grandfather left behind. In the beginning, he was hesitant about making such a huge change. What he really wanted to do was screenwriting, which was hardly within the scope of his boring office job. But his parents convinced him that pursuing a creative career would be too unstable, too unpredictable. 

Then, the economy crashed. The company he was working for started downsizing and he was denied the pay raise that he’d been promised. That, of course, did _ wonders _ for his mental health.

He needed an escape.

_ I think this is a good thing. If you ever not want to be there anymore, all you have to do is call me and I’ll take the first bus to Balmera Valley to bring you home. _

He really was tempted to call Veronica.

That wasn’t to say that he didn’t like farming. In fact, he loved it. He also loved the new environment he was in. Everyone living in Balmera Valley had been really nice to him. A few of the older ones even popped by every now and then to recount stories of his late grandparents. Even Mayor Allura and her assistant Shiro had been more than welcoming to him.

But that didn’t change the fact that he was exhausted. That didn’t change that he woke up in a cold sweat every morning, worried that he wouldn’t make enough money from selling his produce to survive. Still, he didn’t want to have to give up. Not yet.

He looked to the horizon. It wouldn’t be more than half an hour or so till nightfall so he decided that he was done for the day. Everything else that he had left to do, he could leave for the next day. He picked up his scythe and made his way to the shed to put it away.

“Excuse me, are you Lance Mcclain?” 

Lance turned to find himself faced with what he could only describe as a bird with something like a million tiny legs. He had never seen this, uh, creature before.

“Yes, who are you?”

“I am Slav, the Balmera Valley mailman. I apologise for my tar— no, actually, I don’t apologise! You see, after I delivered this large package to Shiro, I had to run around his house fifty times to avert the cosmic inevitability of—”

“It’s fine,” Lance quickly cut him off. “What do you have for me?”

Slav dug around in his bag for a letter and gave it to him.

“Be sure to only open it when the moon is—”

“Mmn, mmn, thank you!” Lance shut the door of the shed behind him. 

He flipped the letter back and forth. It didn’t have the standard Garrison company logo embellishment that all of the letters from Veronica had. And he knew that it wouldn’t be from his parents since they so strongly disapproved of his decision to move. Cautiously, he peeled the flap of the envelope open and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. 

_ Dear Farmer Lance, _

_ Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hunk and I’m the baker of the Happy Hearts Bakery located in the town square of Balmera Valley. I’m sorry that I haven’t been by to say hello. Business has been busy busy busy and I haven’t had a moment to do much more than catch my breath these days. _

_ That being said, I would like to start buying your produce. I hear that it’s of the top quality and I would love to support a local business. I don’t expect you to sell it to me at a price that’s competitive to the Galra Supermarket. Name your price and I’ll pay for it. I don’t believe in skimping when it comes to food. _

_ If you’re agreeable to this, just come to the bakery and tell me. I’ll even give you some free bread to take home~ _

_ I hope to hear from you soon. _

_ Yours, _

_ Hunk Garrett _  


Perhaps he wasn’t doomed to fail after all. 

* * *

* * *

As he stood near the entrance of the bakery, Lance fidgeted with the neckline of his shirt for what must have been the seventieth time. He didn’t know what prompted that wave of self-consciousness, given that Hunk was judging his produce, not his appearance. Still, he was meeting him for the first time and he wanted to make a good impression.

He walked into the bakery and was taken aback by the aroma of freshly-baked bread. If he took a moment to focus on individual baked goods that lined the shelves, he would be able to pinpoint the characteristic scent of each. But taken all-together and it was like an orchestra playing music in scent form. He was convinced that this Hunk person was some kind of baking wizard.

“Welcome to the Happy Hearts Bakery. Feel free to browse, don’t eat anything not marked ‘sample’ and I can’t believe I have to say this, but don’t steal anything,” the raven-haired man at the counter said, neither pausing nor inflecting throughout.

“Uh, hi. I’m looking for Hunk Garrett.”

The man sighed. “Chef’s busy.”

“But I’m here to discuss—”

“You buying anything?”

“Uh, no, but he said that—”

“Yeah, didn’t think so. Out.”

Lance gasped, appalled by how rude he was. But he didn’t come to fight, so he left the bakery without putting up a fight.

The town square wasn’t particularly busy for a Saturday morning, but he still managed to spot a few familiar faces. There was Katie and Matt playing with their homemade drone, Shiro helping an elderly lady with her groceries and Allura discussing something, uh… _ mayorly _, with her associate, Coran. She glanced up from her clipboard and gave Lance an acknowledging nod.

There was just so much life and warmth in Balmera Valley, and he couldn’t believe that it hadn’t even been a full day since he considered leaving.

“Lance! How are you?”

Lance turned to see Shiro just briefly enough to realise that he was about to be pulled into a hug. 

“Fine,” he wheezed.

“I’m glad,” Shiro said as he released him.

“You know who isn’t fine, though? That guy working in the bakery. I just walked in to say hi to Hunk and he didn’t even hesitate to throw me out!”

“I see you met Keith.” A smile danced on Shiro’s lips.

“Keith, huh. What’s his problem?”

“He... can be a bit abrasive, but he warms up once you get to know him. He’s just… how do I put this… he’s really protective of Hunk.”

Protective? Hunk was a _ Baker _. It wasn’t like he was in witness protection.

“I know it sounds odd, but there have been some really toxic people who’ve come to live in Balmera Valley. Some of them have even tried to put Hunk out of business,” Shiro explained. “But, honestly? That’s no excuse. I’ll talk to Keith about it.”

That made Lance a little nervous. As much as he was upset by it, he didn’t want to put someone out of a job. Especially not when there weren’t many in the Valley. “I don’t want to start trouble.”

“I mean, I’m not going to get my boyfriend fired, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

That put him at ease. Shiro seemed to pick up on that because he patted him on the shoulder and left him standing alone in the middle of the town square. 

Lance looked on as Shiro walked into the bakery, unsure of what he thought about Hunk. Now that he knew that Hunk was kind to a fault, there was also a nagging voice at the back of his head that wondered if that was the only reason that Hunk wanted to support his farm.

* * *

* * *

Lance’s watering can slipped right out of his trembling fingers. The little water that was left in it splashed onto him, but that was the least of his worries. The edges of his vision darkened as his knees buckled from under him. The next sensation he felt was the damp soil against his cheek. 

Since he sent his price list to Hunk in the mail, he’d gotten a few more letters from villagers who also wanted to buy produce from him. They said that his farm had been highly recommended by Hunk.

Now, he had gotten ahead of himself and promised produce to all of them, failing to stop to consider whether or not he was capable of achieving the necessary output. So there he was, face in the ground, unable to move after overworking himself.

What did he expect, that he could just waltz into the Valley and everything would be fine? Maybe his parents were right. Maybe he should call Veronica, go home with his tail between his legs, throw his dignity away and beg his former employer for his job back. He’d be lucky if he didn’t have to take a pay cut. 

Except that the Valley was his home now. And even all covered in dirt, which would have been intolerable to him just a few months ago, he still couldn’t bring himself to give up. He didn’t even have an inkling for how he would make things work, but he knew that he would find a way. Tomorrow, next week, someday; he would find a solution. 

And as he began to drift off to sleep, the last thing he remembered was hearing an unfamiliar voice calling out his name.  


* * *

* * *

When Lance finally woke up, he was in his own bed. Slowly, he peeled the blanket off himself, revealing a set of clean pajamas. He looked down, bewildered at how he went from lying in the dirt to being fresh and clean in bed. 

The smell of food that seemed to come from the kitchen only further confused him. It grew stronger and stronger until--

“You’re up.”

Lance looked at the man standing by the door with a plate with a bread bun and wasn’t sure whether he felt afraid or confused. “Who are you?”

“Hah, sorry, probably should have introduced myself first. I’m Hunk!”

“Oh.”

“You’re probably wondering why I’m in your house.”

“I was, yes,” Lance laughed.

“I finally had some time to spare so I thought I’d drop off your payment for the produce in person.” He explained. “I heard that you came by the bakery.”

“I did, but your bouncer kicked me out.”

Hunk burst into the kind of laughter that rumbled deep in his chest. The kind that twinged at Lance’s heart, the kind that dared him not to develop a crush.

“Keith can be a bit prickly, but he means well.”

“Sure,” Lance snorted.

“I mean it.”

_ He sees the best in people _, Lance thought. For a moment, he even entertained the thought that Hunk could see the best in him too. Maybe now that life issued him a challenge, he wouldn’t be as quick to run away. 

Suddenly, a low whine came from his belly. It wasn’t the sort of thing that would have normally embarrassed him but he didn’t really know Hunk. He didn’t know what to expect.

“You must be starving. Here, it’s my prized bread bowl soup!”

Lance raised his hands to accept the plate, but his hands were unsteady.

“No, stay. I’ll feed you.”

Hunk settled down next to Lance on the bed. Balancing the plate on his own lap, he pulled off pieces of bread and dipped it into the hot, creamy soup. He blew on it gently, making sure that it wasn’t too hot, then placed it into Lance’s open mouth.

“This might be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.” Lance marvelled. “But what makes it _ prized _?”

“You.”

“Excuse me?”

“I bought all of the ingredients that went into this from your farm.”

Lance blushed furiously. “Sweet talker, aren’t you?”

“Nope.” Hunk beamed as he fed Lance more bread. “Just an honest baker who really likes his cute new neighbour.”

Lance almost choked on the bread. He looked at Hunk’s beaming face, clearly pleased with himself for getting Lance so flustered. But back in the city, he was known for being quite the flirt and he wasn’t about to let Hunk best him so easily.

He smirked. “Well, it was still your hands that put all the ingredients together. I wonder what else you can do with them.”

Hunk’s face twisted into a look that was a cross between amusement and confusion. “... really?”

“That would have worked in Naxzela City!” Lance retorted.

“Well,” He paused to laugh, “You’re in Balmera Valley now.”

Lance couldn’t help but smile. “Then I better start getting used to it because I’m not going anywhere.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading to the end of the fic! I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it! I would really appreciate it if you left kudos and comments! <3
> 
> Come yell at me [@artparallax](https://twitter.com/artparallax) (twitter)


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